Balancing apparatus for golf clubs and the like



Dec. 1, 1936.

w. oee ET AL BALANCING APPARATUS FOR GOLF CLUBS AND THE LIKE FiledMay 20, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnuefiibr i Leon A. Siovz winiam Oq'q Dec. 1, 1936. 066 ET AL 2,062,673

BALANCING APPARATUS FOR GOLF CLUBS AND THE LIKE Filed May 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 x lrurenior Leon A: Siorz r William Oqq Ailorneg Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES O'FFIII'CE BALANCING APPARATUS FOR. GOLF. CLUBS AND THE LIKE The present invention relates to the balancing of golf clubs and like implements. This application is a division of our ccpending application Serial No. 636,198, filed October 4, 1932, (now Patent No. 1,917,774), on Golf clubs and manufacture of the same, and it relates to the therein disclosed balancing apparatus, whose use, as hereinafter described, provides golf sticks or clubs which, especially in the hands of inexpert users, will give better andmore uniform results than the sticks or clubs now in ordinary use, as regards the distance and straightness of the balls flight after being struck.

Other and further objects and advantages of our invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the balancing apparatus of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary large scale sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic face view ofa golf club of conventional form, showing the determination of its zone of maximum hitting effect.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, illustrative of the relocation and enlargement of said zone, in accordance with the principles of our invention.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the'club head shown in Fig. 6, after correction of its weight distribution.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

In all golf clubs of conventional construction now in ordinary use, as exemplified by the distance iron shown in Fig. 5, the zone or spot of maximum hitting effect on the club face I is located very close to the heel portion 2, at which the club head provides the usual hosel or socket 3'for the attachment of its shaft 4. This is a fact which can be tested and proved by balancing such a club, according to the principles of our invention, for substantial equalization, of the turning moments effective thereon, as by suitably positioning and manipulating said club in the balancing apparatus of our invention shown.

in Figs. 1 and 2. Referring to those figures, the numeral 5 indicates an elongated horizontally-supported base, at one end of which is provided a pivoted platform 5 to receive and support the club head, while at the other end of which is provided a longitudinally adjustable mounting l, to receive and support the grip portion 8 of the shaft of a. club.

As shown in Fig. 3, the base 5 provides beneath the platform 6 an elongated knife edge 9, the latter constituting a central support transverse to the platform, on which said platform is delicateiy balanced. The surface of the platform whereon is received-hitting face downward, the

head of the 'golf'club being tested, as shown in Fig. 1, is preferably coated, asshown at l0, with any suitable plastic or like sticky or tacky compound, whose function' is to prevent any accidental sliding or slipping, of 'theclub head on said platform during thebalancing operation. The mounting l, as shown in-Fig. 4, may'take the form of a block with its under face grooved to make a snug sliding fit on the base 5, said'block providing a set screw ell by which to fix it in any desired position of longitudinal adjustment, relative to said base. The block lrprovides for the swivelled mounting thereon, about avertical axis, of-a-member l2, as by means of an antifriction bearing, 13, and in saidrnember l2'is mounted a ball bearing I l, whose center is cut bya line drawn through the elongated. apex of knife edge 9. The inner-race of ball bearing [4 is of a diameter to receive loosely therein the grip portion 8 of the golf club whose headrests on the platform 6, and in the use of theapparatus, the block or mounting l is adjusted on the base- 5, toward or fromthe platformt, soasto support the grip 8 substantially midway of the space thereon ordinarily occupied by the users hands. Other suitablemeans may be, provided to support the grip 8 ,so that'itcan turn freely on the same axis as; that provided for-the club head support,-as, for example, a ring or loop so suspended or hung as to maintain its center in the axialline of the knifeedge 9.

Any golf club so positionedand supportedin the apparatus shown in Figs l and 2 is free to tip one, way or the other 'about such axial-line c-c, Fig.1, which parallels the centerline of the base 5; by: slightly shifting the club head toward one side orthe other of the p1atform 6-,-the latter can ultimately be brought to a condition of horizontal balance, and when such-is accomplished, an ordinary or conventional club will be approximately in the position indicated by Fig. 1, with its shaft axis at a slight angle to said axial line c--c, so that said-line, or its projection, crosses the club headfobliquely, very close to the heel portion 2 thereof. The relation of this axis to the hitting face I of aniron club of conventional form and weight distribution-isshown by the line c'c' in Fig. 5, whichintersects the sole l5 of the club head only a very short distance outwardly from the inner extremity thereof. It follows that .the spot or, zone of maximum hitting effect. on the face of such a club is of relatively small area,being confined as a practical 'matter to that portion of the club face appreciably above the sole I5 and appreciably below the edge l6 that immediately-ad-.

joins the line c'c in Fig. 5, on the left or outer side of said line. No appreciable addition to the area of this small spot or zone can be developed on the inner or hosel side of line c'c', because that side is almost entirely occupied by the concave surface that forms the juncture of the club face with the heel portion of the head; a user of the club would sedulously avoid any striking of the ball with such a curved surface. In fact, in the use of the conventional club shown in Fig. 5, the average golfers efforts would naturally, as a matter of course, be directed to the procurement of impact on the ball by a spot on the club face such as A, lyingabout midway the length of the sole l5 and appreciably spaced from the lower edge of said face. And no matter how well executed the swing might be in this instance, the result of such impact at or near the point A will inevitably, as heretofore described, produce a powerful force tending to throw the club face out of its intended striking position, the leverage of said force being the perpendicular distance of the impact point A from the line c'c. The result, a sliced or otherwise spoiled shot, is due entirely to defective design and improper distribution of weight in the club head.

Referring now to Fig. 6, which shows the same club face as Fig. 5, we have indicated on the club face a theoretically ideal point of impact A on the perpendicular bi-sector aa of the sole or bottom edge 15. When such club is positioned and supported in the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the point A is directly over the axial line c--c of the apparatus, the latter supports the club with a considerably larger angle than previously between the shaft axis and the axial line c-c; under these conditions, assuming the club of Fig. 6 to have the same weight distribution as the club of Fig. 5, the apparatus will be wholly out of balance; the turning moments produced by the masses lying to the right or inwardly of the line cc, Fig. 6, being considerably in excess of those produced by the masses on the other side of said line. With the club still resting in said apparatus in the displaced position indicated by Fig. 6, the restoration of said apparatus to a condition of balance requires the addition of a certain amount of weight to the outer or toe portion'of the club head, to equalize the turning moments. By so adding weight, until balance is substantially restored, we obtain a very close' approximation of the proper distribution of-weight in the head of the club which will give that implement its maximum effectiveness when impact with the ball is effected at or near the point A on its face. i

Assuming that Weight be added to the toe portion of the club head in sufficient amount to restore the balance of the apparatus, (such addition being either in the manner shown at I! on Fig. 7, or in any other desired manner), then it follows that thereoccurs a substantial equalization of the turning moments that are effective about the axis corresponding to the line cc' of Fig. 6. This signifies not only a more advantageous and useful location on the club face of the spot or zone of maximum hitting effect (shifting said spot or zone outwardly to approximately the central portion of the club face), but it also signifies the very material enlargement of said spot or zone, because this zone in Fig. 6 includes portions of the club face on both sides of the line c' c,-whereas in Fig. 5, its area, as a practical matter, ,was qqllfip t one side only (the outer side) of the line c'c'. Furthermore, any impact with the ball by a point on the club face outside of this spot or zone, such as point B in Fig. 6, will have relatively little tendency to deflect the club head, because its leverage or distance from the line c'c is relatively small,whereas impact at a corresponding point B on the face of the club head shown in Fig. 5 will invariably result in very marked deflection, because in this instance the leverage or distance from the line c'c is much greater.

In the use of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, suitable provision may be made for accurately marking on the surface of a club head on the platform 8, the line which corresponds to the axis about which the turning moments are in balance, and from which, by projection onto the face of the club, is obtained the lines c'-c of Figs. 5

and 6. To this end, the base 5, adjacent the platform 5, supports an upright standard Hi, from which projects a horizontal bar l9 overhanging the platform 6. Slidably mounted on the bar l9, to move in a path paralleling the axial line 0-0 of the apparatus, is a member 20 in which is vertically slidable a rod 2 I, carrying at its lower end a scribing point or other suitable marking device 22. The latter, as the member 20 is slid back and forth on the bar i9, is constrained to a path that is always alined with the knife edge 9, and hence serves to trace or mark on the club head surface a line which, in the balanced condition of the apparatus, corresponds to the line c-c' of the several figures.

We claim,

1. In apparatus of the class described, a pivoted platform for supporting the head of a golf club, and a pivotal mounting for the grip portion of the club shaft, the pivotal axes of said platform and said mounting being substantially in alinement, thereby to support said club in a position giving effect to turning moments produced by the masses of the club materials at different distances from a single imaginary axis that, in effect, passes through both the head and grip of the club.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a pivoted platform for supporting the head of av golf club, and a pivotal mounting for the grip portion of the club shaft, the pivotal axes of said platform and said mounting being substantially in alinement, a support common to said platform and to said mounting, and adjustable means on said support for varying the distance between said platform and said mounting, to adapt the apparatus to clubs of different lengths.

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a pivotal mounting for the grip portion of a golf club, and a pivoted platform whereon to rest the head of said club, the pivotal axes of said mounting and said platform being substantially in alinement, and a friction-producing material on said platform, to prevent slippage of said head thereon.

4. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a pivotal mounting for the grip portion of a golf club, and a pivoted platform whereon to rest the head of said club, the pivotal axes of said mounting and said platform being substantially in alinement, guide means above said platform and also alined with said axes, and means movable on said guide means for tracing on said head 

